Georganna t



(No Model.)

G. O. THOMAS, Decd. G. T. PETERS, Administratrix.

TELESCOPE BAG. No. 586,296. Patented Ju1y 13, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. THOMAS, OF MAYFAIR, ILLINOIS; GEORGANNA T. PETERS ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID THOMAS, DECEASED.

TELESCOPE-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,296, dated July 13, 1897. Application filed December 4, 1895. Serial No. 570,977. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. THOMAS, of

Mayfair, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telescope-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand-bags made in two parts adapted to telescope, the one being provided with a handle and the two being bound together by outer straps around both; and the object of my improvements is to provide the bag with means for holding in two separate lots the clothing or other similar artioles placed in the bag, said means being adapted to so divide the articles that the two lots, whether equal or unequal, can lie in con- .tact and be bound by the compression of the outer straps whether the bag is only half full or is filled to its full capacity.

I attain the object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a hand-bag of the class mentioned containing my improvements, the bag being filled and bound by the outer straps. Fig. 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of the upper part or cover of the bag inverted and iilled. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the empty upper cover inverted and shows the position of the parts preparatory to filling. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bag half full, the contents being divided and held in two equal lots which lie together in the bag, but are separable by opening the bag.

In the drawings, A designates the upper part or cover of the bag, which is provided with a handle A and keepers A for the binding straps or bands 13, of which there are two or more as ordinarily used. The cover is provided with cords or straps or, which are arranged in pairs, with one end attached at opposite sides near the edges or walls, as at a, the other ends being free, so as to be secured upon the articles placed in the inverted cover with sufficient space between the straps and wall to allow the lower part or body 0 of the bag to telescope in the usual manner. It is contemplated that the straps may be attached at the sides or ends or at both the sides and ends. As shown, the free end of strap on one side has a buckle (t2, the free end of thefellow strap on the opposite side being provided with holes to engage the buckle-tongue, so that the free ends of the pair, when drawn down upon the articles placed in the inverted cover, are secured by the buckle to hold the articles securely within the cover when turned right side up and will not interfere with the telescoping of the other part with the cover, as usual. To effect a more complete separation of the articles than straps alone would afiord, I provide a partition-board D, provided with slots d at one side, through which the straps having the buckles are passed and can play, the buckles, however, preferably operating as stops in the slots to prevent the partition-board from being separated from the cover, but permit it to be operated as a hinged lid to the inverted cover, as seen in Fig. 3. The partition-board thus attached to the cover is movable on the buckle-straps, so as to take any position thereon between the point a, where the strap is attached to the cover, and the point where it is stopped by the buckle, so that the complete separation of the articles can be effected at any point along the length of the buckle-straps, the strap opposite the buckle being folded over the partition-board and secured, as before mentioned. The linear dimensions of the partition-board are within those of the lower part of the bag, sothat it can occupy any position between the top and bottom of the cover without interfering with the telescoping operation of the parts of the bag.

IVhat I claim is In a telescope-bag the combination with the body and cover of the bag, of pairs of straps having one end of each secured on the inside to the top of the cover on opposite sides oif from the walls, the other ends being free, the free ends on one side being provided with buckles and on the other side with holes for the buckle-tongue, and a partition-board having slots in one side adapted to receive the buckle-straps for hinging it to the cover, the linear dimensions of the partition-board and the points of securing the straps to the cover being such as to pass within the body of the bag whereby the partition and contents of the cover may be secured so as to allow the walls of the body to pass between them and the walls of the cover in telescoping, as specified.

GEORGE C. THOMAS. 

